Billy Bowlegs 5K in the morning works for Phillip Bauer and Val Curtis

Since 1975, Fort Walton Beach, Florida has been the home of the Billy Bowlegs 5K Night Race. The event is named after William Bowles (1763–1805), who was never called "Billy Bowlegs" during his lifetime--not even behind his back. Adding to the contradictions, on Saturday morning, 4 June 2022, the 48th annual edition of the "Night Race" started at 7:30 AM. Phillip Bauer didn't waste any time worrying about the paradoxes. The Destin, Florida master runner raced the 3.1-mile course in 17:22, winning by about 100 meters. Niceville, Florida marathoner Val Curtis was the first woman in the race, coming in fourth overall in 18:24.


Bauer had been fifth in the 2021 Bowlegs, but improved his time by nearly a minute to take the title in 2022. Andre Hammond finished runner-up to Bauer, going 17:44. Six days earlier, Bauer and Hammond had tangled in Eglin's Gate-to-Gate Memorial Day 4.4-Mile Run, with similar results--Bauer had been sixth in 25:49 and Hammond seventh in 26:28. Behind both of them at Bowlegs, Nick Morken placed third in 18:08. Morken had been a distance runner at nearby Niceville High (2011-2014) and later in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida (2014-2018).


Charleen Elizondo, a rising senior on the cross-country team at North Bay Haven High, took second in the women's standings and sixth overall in 19:22. Avery Briggs of Portsmouth, Virginia was the third woman and eleventh overall in 20:47. April Brookhart was the first woman master and seventh female finisher, 35th overall in 22:47.


242 athletes finished the Northwest Florida Track Club's 2022 Billy Bowlegs 5K. Ava Suydan directed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Billy Bowlegs 5K Night Race

1. 17:22, Philip Bauer (M, 40)
2. 17:44, Andre Hammond (M, 38)
3. 18:08, Nick Morken (M, 26)
4. 18:52, Bobby Flynn (M, 42)
5. 19:54, Marcus Budig (M, 33)
6. 20:03, Zachary Murzyn (M, 19)
7. 20:29, Yancy Ream (M, 51)
8. 20:42, Zach Bryan (M, 30)
9. 20:51, Trevor Ctibor (M, 27)
10. 20:52, Tim Sullivan (M, 63)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Billy Bowlegs 5K Night Race

1. 18:24, Val Curtis (F, 35)
2. 19:22, Charleen Elizond0 (F, 18)
3. 20:47, Avery Briggs (F, 36)
4. 21:48, Lakyn Carmichael (F, 18)
5. 22:38, Sydney Sailors (F, 32)
6. 22:45, Delilah Jucha (F, 10)
7. 22:47, April Brookhart (F, 41)
8. 23:19, Mia Jucha (F, 10)
9. 24:15, Collen Heath (F, 39)
10. 24:25, Gianna Paul (F, 23)

Billy Bowlegs Midnight Run winners, 1975 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
31 May 1975	Mike Clay	Cathy Sigler	82
5 June 1976	14:30*, Tim Simpkins	17:11*, Esther Stovall	132
4 June 1977	14:33*, Ken Misner	17:37*, Nancy McCormac	202
3 June 1978	14:48*, Jeff Galloway	17:43*, Nancy McCormac	~450
2 June 1979	14:58.5*, Mike Conley	17:52*, Dolly Harrison
31 May 1980	14:43*, Fred Carley Jr.	17:28*, Dolly Harrison	~1200
30 May 1981	14:43*, Jere Boutz	17:30*, Judy Stokley	~1200
5 June 1982	14:33*, Mike Zerressen	17:04*, Judy Stokely
4 June 1983	14:34*, Mike Zerressen	17:04*, Barbara Balzer	1086
2 June 1984	14:28*, J.D. Evilsizer	17:41*, Barbara Balzer	1039
1 June 1985	14:17*, Mark Patterson	16:39*, Helen Rogers	1475
7 June 1986	14:45*, Mike Plumb	Michele Linihan
6 June 1987	14:26*, James Frazier	18:03*, Jodie Steigerwald	1100+
5 June 1993	15:01, Matt Dobson
7 June 1997	15:14, Everett Whiteside	17:14, Sarah Kramer
6 June 1998	15:10, Everett Whiteside	18:18, Kelly Wild
5 June 1999	14:56, Rudolf Jun	17:59, Kelly Wild
3 June 2000	15:51, Rudolph Jun	17:29, Anna Pichrtova	524
2 June 2001	15:44, Steve Garst	18:06, Kelly Wild	530
1 June 2002	15:34, Everett Whiteside	20:08, Sarah Nandes	557
7 June 2003	16:07, James Frazier	18:27, Sarah Kramer	472
5 June 2004	16:22, Travis Deutman	18:23, Kelly Wild	382
5 June 2005	16:11, Brennan Galloway	18:34, Kelly Wild	450
4 June 2006	16:38, James Uthmeier	18:29, Kelly Wild	516
3 June 2007	15:41, Everett Whiteside	19:02, Kelly Wild	667
8 June 2008	16:06, Kyle Vanzile	19:07, Anna Hallex	685
6 June 2009	16:27, Adam Saloom	19:52, Kate Accardo	778
5 June 2010	15:55, Adam Saloom	18:57, Megan Jenkins	600
4 June 2011	15:57, Adam Saloom	19:46, Lisa Lewis	658
2 June 2012	15:21, Adam Saloom	19:20, Debby Vannoy	711
1 June 2013	15:45, Adam Saloom	18:50, Cynthia Blendermann	621
7 June 2014	16:29, Frito Bandito	18:52, Cheryl Held	530
6 June 2015	16:37, Dewayne Riley	19:05, Logan Bishop	495
4 June 2016	16:46, Dewayne Riley	19:47, Lillian Holtery	402
3 June 2017	16:47, Dewayne Riley	21:07, Brigid Gutierrez	290
2 June 2018	16:38, Dewayne Riley	19:02, Presley Miles	334
1 June 2019	16:00, Matt Blunden	19:37, Sophie Kellogg	333
1 June 2020	Tim Sullivan	Andrea Kay
1 June 2021	15:37, Matt Bevil	17:19, Margaret Conelly	159
4 June 2022	17:22, Philip Bauer	18:24, Val Curtis	242
* Early races in the series were three miles rather than five kilometers.

Links

• Complete results of Fort Walton Beach's 2022 Billy Bowlegs 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRHolaT6QaKzdTJ8uSry8bfXtXSBz5yh7Rr6u0LIHIK7gfNCU7UXxlHRTC7F75p6OPVf5GneqU_Wb_T/pubhtml
  
  
• 2019 story, “Matt Blunden and Sophie Kellogg take home the loot from the Billy Bowlegs 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/06/fwb-bowlegs-2019.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Dewayne Riley rolls to his third straight Billy Bowlegs 5K title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/06/fwb-bowlegs-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Riley and Bishop win the race inspired by the Dread Pirate Bowles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/06/fwb-bowlegs-2015.html
  
  
• USATF Course Certification Map FL13020EBM for the 2015 Billy Bowlegs 5K
  https://certifiedroadraces.com/certificate/?type=l&id=FL13020EBM
  
  
• The race named after the real Billy Bowlegs
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/01/bowlegs-2019.html
  
  
• Find other 40-year-old races in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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